Graduation, Nostalgia, and Reminiscing

Perhaps now would be a good time to digest my transition to 'the real world' lest I forget. It was just over four years ago that I set foot in the 'New World', by way of Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts.

I remember as though it was yesterday my first encounter with a person who would be my friend for the next four years - Yash. Yash got my name from a contact list that the office of international students had put together and circulated among incoming international freshman. We corresponded via email and eventually arranged to board the same Virgin Airlines jet to the United States of America. One memory that stands out is not a happy one, rather it was a reality check that we were not going to the land of milk and honey per se. Yash, who is from India, was pulled to the side by the TSA for their 'random' checks. You have to know Yash to understand when I say his demeanor throughout this ordeal was immaculate. I would have flipped. Random security checks my ass!

After six hours in the air we arrived and were met at the airport by Pioneer Valley Transporter van that took us to our new home. I say home because over the years, Hampshire has grown to feel more and more like home to me. My international orientation was headed by three lovely young adults, who were not only stellar at their jobs but were very honest about the politics and life of the bubble that is Hampshire College.

My early memories of Hampshire comprise the fall air and the smell of newly renovated rooms and paint  that permeated my basement hall in Merrill B. In retrospect I did not experience as much of culture shock as I did when I first arrived in the UK for high school in 2004. My induction to American 'civilization' through the Pioneer Valley could not be further from the stereotypical images I had developed with the help of the media. The humble people and towns of Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst forced me to re-imagine the superpower that is the United States. I was taken aback by the many dissenting voices - from Gay and Lesbian rights activists to the anti-war movement. I was forced to unlearn a lot of things at Hampshire College. I was introduced to NPR (National Public Radio)'s This American Life, PRI's The World, and Democracy Now.

For reasons best left to a different blog post I struggled to find my place in this new world. I was learning volumes every day and I just could not keep up. So I decided to regroup and redefine my purpose. I had been accepted to Hampshire College as a Natural Sciences student. I had long wanted to be a doctor. I cant really remember why, but I did. Increasingly, I found politics and economics more intriguing than haemoglobin or homeostasis. During my second year at Hampshire I decided to take on the Social Sciences. Perhaps my new life in America had something to do with this decision.

I took classes at other colleges that are part of the Five College Consortium, namely Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke and UMASS. This is one thing about the valley that anybody I know loves and appreciates - attending five colleges at the price of one. The commute is made easier by the PVTA buses that take students free of charge (as long as you are paying tuition) around the five college system. I will leave the details of the academics to the yearly catalogues published by the respective colleges but one thing I would like to commend is the access afforded by the system to quality lectures by prominent academics such as Bill Easterly and Joseph Stiglitz. There is always something happening every weekend - that is the beauty of it, you can never really get bored. I mostly enjoyed going to basketball games at the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) and attending dance concerts at Smith.

In my first year I lived in Merrill B room B11 right next to Katrina, a talented dancer and actress from Brooklyn, New York. (I know this because I attended her theatre production as well as her public performance on the green in Amherst town). I recall debating with her until the wee hours about politics, gender, and about Ricky, my other neighbor-turned-friend, who also lived in the basement of Merrill B. Ricky introduced to many things American that I think I retain. I only drink Sam Adams Boston Lager. I am a religious fan of The West Wing. I also enjoy Grey Goose Vodka. My ideal getaway is Miami, Florida, where, by the way, Ricky and his friends treated me to a fantabulous 21st birthday.

On the academics. I did good. I think more so in all my non-Hampshire classes because I was required to think less and memorize more. For the uninitiated, Hampshire College does not grade students as do many liberal arts colleges in the US. The hallmark of the Hampshire system rests in narrative evaluations that describe in detail one's performance in a certain class. Evaluations say more about what I learned than a letter grade. Many do not understand this, but believe me when I say it is the future of education. Students and professors alike are forced to look deeper into one another, and as a result, stronger relations emerge.

My only bone of contention with this system is that sometimes professors can be brutally honest. I got a bad evaluation for this class I took as a freshman - Media Analysis: September 11 or something like that with Tracy Rubeck in the Fall of 2006. I had difficulty keeping up with many discussions in the class - most likely because the professor referred a lot to American media's reporting of 9/11 - what did I expect right? Anyways I did not drop the class, and I attended most of the lessons and listened to my classmates talk about Stephen Colbert, or Jon Stewart, or Rupert Murdoch as if they knew any/all of these people. What I found discouraging, however, was the absence of a dissenting opinion, within the classroom. Everybody seemed to agree on almost everything. This was (and still is) a common theme in many Hampshire classes and I think it is detrimental for an academic institution that prides itself in leading students to think independently to unintentionally stifle different points of view.

I started to focus on economics and development during my forth semester. News of hyperinflation in my native Zimbabwe worried me a lot. I could not understand why on earth the central bank seemed to be printing money like it was high on something. Since Hampshire did not have that many economics classes I went to other colleges. I found myself pursuing undergraduate economics program requirements set by Smith College. I did not mind that in many classes I was the only male student. One professor in particular stands out - Roissin O'Sullivan. She taught me Macroeconomics theory. A former central banker from Ireland, Roissin taught Macroeconomics like it was her profession not just a job. She showed passion in what she did and any student of hers (with a few exceptions) sang praises. If you dont believe me look at www.ratemyprofessor.com. My Microeconomics (both intro and intermediate) were not as great, but during one-on-one sessions, the professors were very helpful.

So I gravitated more towards the study of macroeconomics at the University of Massachusetts because of the strength of the Resource Economics Dept. I took Econometrics (ps:// I would have NEVER gotten the job I have now had I not taken Dan Lass's class RESEC 312); Research Methods in Economics with Lisa Saunders; African Development with Mwangi etc. It was at UMASS that I also improved my mathematics, as well as learned financial economics, and money and banking. I spent my senior year using the statistical software in the Econometrics lab in Stockbridge 201. Oh how I miss those days already.

Enough about classes.

You have probably gathered from this post (if I have not killed you with boredom already) that I did not go to as many parties as I should have. I was very picky about my party going. I did not like going to a party with the same people as the last party. And going to a small private college, this was inevitable. So my friends (who, with a few exceptions, varied from year to year) and I frequented Smith and Mount Holyoke parties, and occasionally hosted our own. For helping me let loose I thank Jason, Joel, Eyob, Ricky, Jide and Sam.

Hampshire College holds a very special part in my life. The professors I had, the friends I made, and my own academic and personal accomplishments while there will define me for many years to come. The college, however, is going through some growing pains that I fear will force the institution to lose some of that appeal that is so dear to me. It was rumored that the administration was contemplating scrapping narrative evaluations - something that distinguishes us greatly from many, and that there would have to be layoffs in order to balance the budget. Needless to say, all these choices reflect that Hampshire is not immune to the global economic challenges. I implore fellow alums to give to this great, but not perfect, little home of ours. I pledge to give whatever I can to the college that is at the frontier of colleges that are redefining education in America.

An aside. I was wearing my Hampshire t-shirt on my way to a grocery store in Washington DC, and a guy yelled out Go Hampshire! I later learned that he was actually not a Hampshire alum but was an Amherst student who is now a congressional aide. I thought that was nice :)

If you are still in college, make the most of it and be good :)